


Mystery Skulls, Inc.

by lakesandquarries



Category: Ghost - Mystery Skulls (Music Video), Mystery Skulls (Band)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Multi, basically starts when the video ends, lewis rejoins, the gang gets into trouble
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-17
Updated: 2014-12-03
Packaged: 2018-02-25 19:15:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2633111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lakesandquarries/pseuds/lakesandquarries
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They go back to that house, and everything changes. Or, the adventures of a girl obsessed with the paranormal, a boy with a robot arm, a skeleton ghost, and their talking dog.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue+Chapter One

The last thing she said to him was, “Good luck you guys!” followed by her smiling and heading down the path with Mystery.

They walked for a while, Vivi talking to Mystery. “I’m a little worried about Arthur,” she tells him, whispering not so she isn’t overheard, but because this is a place that makes you feel like you must whisper. “He seems upset about something. Has he said anything to you?”

“No,” Mystery tells her. “People don’t tell their dogs as much as they normally would when said dog can talk.”

Vivi smiles at that, but still, she’s worried. The pathway grows darker, than lighter, as they walk. As they turn a corner, Mystery stops.

“Something’s wrong,” he says, “I’ll be right back.” He runs off, back up the trail, leaving Vivi alone. She doesn’t mind, though. She keeps going down the path, which finally opens up into a cavern of stalagmites. Everything’s tinted faintly green, and she wonders where the green is coming from.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a scream, and then she looks to see where it’s coming from and starts screaming as well. There’s a body falling through the air, and she sees it land. She knows no one could survive a fall like that, but she checks anyway.

There's more screaming, suddenly, this time sounding like Arthur. She runs back up the path, but he’s stopped by the time she arrived. Not only has he stopped actually, but he’s unconscious. 

“Arthur?” she whispers. Theres blood everywhere, and she realises his arm is missing. “Mystery, what happened?” she asks the dog, who shakes his head and looks down.

“I’m not sure. I think Lewis fell, and Arthur tried to save him. And somehow I guess his arm was ripped off.” She doesn't see his arm, doesn't want to look for it. She stares, blankly, at nothing, at everything, at anything but Arthur’s blood dripping down his side or at the body down on the rocks. He makes a sound, and she comes back to herself.

“We have to get him to a hospital,” Vivi says, to get herself to do something besides stand there in sheer shock and confusion. “He could die. Oh, god,” she says, “We have to get Lewis.”

“Vivi…” Mystery says.

“I know he’s- he’s dead,” she tells him, getting caught on the words, “but we can’t leave his body here.”

“We need to focus on Arthur. Otherwise, he might die.”

And so Vivi and Mystery leave the cave dragging Arthur. Lewis’s body lies on the ground still.

When she gets in the car, she doesn’t look back.

\----

Arthur wakes up four days later. Vivi does her best to comfort him, but he pushes her away. It worries her, but everyone has their own way of grieving, and apparently that’s Arthur’s. In time, he gets better. He builds himself an arm- he’s always had a talent with anything mechanical- and slowly, life returns to some form of normal. Vivi bans herself from thinking about that night, about the sound Lewis’s body made when it hit the ground, about Arthur soaked in blood and unconscious, about Lewis screaming and Arthur screaming and the fear and terror in Mystery’s eyes. She throws herself into their business, and her and Arthur drive all over the country in search of ghosts, demons, and other supernatural creatures.

It’s over a year later when they go back anywhere near the place Lewis died. The address they were given was vague, but close to that awful cave. Supposedly, there's a mansion there that keeps flickering in and out of existence, and in that mansion, there’s a ghost that’s been frightening people in the little town.

She’s not prepared for what she finds, but then again, no one is. 

\-----------------------------

“Arthur, what was that?” Vivi asks. Arthur doesn’t say anything, doesn’t look at her, just stares at the road. “Arthur! What happened in there?” Nothing. She switches tactics. “Mystery,” she asks, “please, can you explain anything that just happened?”

The car swerves, suddenly, goes off the road and stops. Arthur turns to her. “What needs explaining? There was a ghost. The place vanished as we left. Let’s just go home, and let someone else deal with it.”

“That ghost was Lewis,” Vivi says, “wasn’t he?”

Arthur doesn’t reply, and thats enough for Vivi.

“There’s no reason for Lewis to be a ghost. His death was an accident.” Arthur stays silent. “You know something,” Vivi says, glaring at him. “We need to figure this out. We can’t leave him. I- I already left him once, and I’m not doing it again.”

“I killed him,” Arthur whispers. He says it again, at a normal volume, “I killed him.”

Vivi stares at Arthur.

“There was something in that cave,” he says, rushed, “something _evil_ , and it- it possessed me or something. I tried to stop it, but I couldn’t, it was too strong and suddenly I was pushing Lewis and he saw me. When he fell, he saw that I pushed him.”

“Arthur-”

“I was so excited, at first. Scared, too, but Lewis was saying he’d keep me safe and I believed him. But then we reached that cliff. Lewis was checking it out, seeing how high it was, I hung back ‘cause fuck heights, and then suddenly I started feeling weird. And I was thinking, _wow, it’d be so easy to push Lewis_ , and I didn’t know where the thought was coming from. I thought it was just me having some idiotic impulse, but it didn’t go away.”

He’s grabbing his arm, metal fingers biting into his flesh. Vivi pulls his arm away, and he continues like he doesn't notice.

“My arm was turning green. It wasn’t the lighting, no, it was _green_ , and I was starting to go numb. I tried fighting it, but I couldn’t control my arm! It was like when you sit on a limb and it goes numb, except it was still moving. And then I was pushing him.”

Vivi doesn’t say anything for a while, just processes. “How...how did you lose your arm, then?”

Arthur glances at Mystery. “Right then was when Mystery showed up. He saw me push Lewis, saw how my arm was turning green, that it was spreading, and- he ripped it off.”

Mystery looks down at the floor of the van.

“If he hadn’t, I think whatever was in that cave would have possessed me completely.” Neither of them are looking at her. She thinks Arthur might be crying, but doesn’t say anything about it.

“We have to go back,” she says, instead, and they both look up. “Arthur, you have to tell Lewis what happened, so he can move on. So we all can.” He’s definitely crying, not even trying to hide it now.

“I can’t,” he says, “Vivi, I cant, he has to hate me, and he has every reason too! I can't expect him to forgive me. I don’t _want_ him to forgive me.”

“So you want him to spend the rest of eternity in that mansion, believing you murdered him?”

“I did! Even if I was possessed, I should have been able to control it! If it had been Lewis that was possessed, he would have fought it off. I should of- should of thrown myself off the cliff, or done something, but I didn’t! Even if something else possessed me, it was feeding off my feelings. I was jealous,” he says, pulling away from Vivi, into the corner of the van. “I was jealous of him, because he had you, and I was jealous of you, cause you had him. I loved him. And I loved you, but you two were happy together and I didn't want to screw it up.”

“He needs to know that, Arthur!”

“So he can hate me more?”

“Arthur, Lewis loved you. We both did.”

“Not the way I-”

“Yes the way you did! You should've heard him talk about you,” Vivi says. She’s crying too, now, all the tears she refused to shed over the past year pouring out now. “He _loved_ you, Arthur, but he didn’t know how you would respond. And I love you, too. Lewis needs to know this, so he can move on.”

“I don’t deserve him forgiving me.”

“Even if that was true, which it isn't, Lewis deserves to be able to forgive. Right now, he doesn’t know the truth. You owe it to him to tell him.”

“Fine,” Arthur says. “Fine.” He starts the van back up, and turns around, back on the road they were speeding down just moments before. Vivi sits back, and a little bit of hope flares in her chest. Things will be okay. They have to, because she doesn’t know what she’ll do if this goes wrong.


	2. Chapter Two

The little ghosts won’t stop following him.

Lewis knows a lot about ghosts. Most ghosts are like the ones that follow him. Aimless, formless, dead so long they don’t remember what they were or why they stayed. Some of them were humans, once upon a time, but a few were animals, killed suddenly or while still young or while raising their own children. They’re drawn to Lewis, to his sharp sense of purpose. He likes them, normally. They’re generally nice and helpful, teaching him how to use his powers and helping him keep his mansion clean and solid. 

Right now, though, he wishes they would leave him alone. 

“Lewis,” one whispers to him. This ghost was a little girl, once, and when she was seven years old her dad killed her and she stayed to protect her brother. But that was 200 years ago, and now she floats, aimlessly, unable to move on but with no reason to stay.

“Melody, please,” he tells her. “I need some time alone.” He doesn't like to talk to them much, hates the way his voice sounds now. It has an echo to it, a bizarre kind of reverb effect, and it’s just another thing that reminds him that he’s dead and can’t go back to what he had before. He’s not even talking, not really. He doesn’t quite understand how it works, but when he “speaks” a voice comes from him. He can’t feel it, but it’s there.

“Lewis, there’s someone at the door,” Melody whispers to him. “They’re knocking.” This surprises him. He rarely gets anyone brave enough to go up to the door, let alone knock on it. Lewis stands up and walks over to the door. Walks, not floats. An important distinction.

“Hello?” calls a voice. “Uh, Lewis? Please open the door.”

_Arthur_. He wasn’t prepared for this. He didn’t think any of them would return, after he chased them out earlier. Especially not Arthur. He opens the door, and tries to look as intimidating as possible.

“Can I come in?” Arthur asks. Mystery’s with him, Lewis notices, but Vivi isn't. Neither is the van.

“No,” Lewis says. He slams the door, but it doesn’t close all the way. Arthur has his foot in the doorway.

“Lewis,” he says, “please. I need to talk to you. Plus, it’s raining. Look, at least let Mystery in.”

Lewis scowls, but finally nods. Arthur walks in, shivering. From cold or fear, Lewis can’t tell. He shows him to the living room, floating this time. Melody brings Arthur a blanket, and he smiles at her.

“Thank you,” Arthur says, and she smiles before flying off. 

“Why are you here?” Lewis asks, and he’s glad for how frightened Arthur looks. He glares down at him, pushing his face in close to Arthurs, taking advantage of his height and the fact that he can float. Arthur isn’t looking at him, though, so the effect is mostly ruined.

“I’m sorry,” Arthur says. “Lewis, I’m so, so sorry. There was something in that cave, something that possessed me, and I was too weak to fight it off. I- I should have been the one to die. Not you.” He looks up, now, then recoils. For a while he dances between staring at the couch and staring at Lewis, finally settling on Lewis. “You don’t have to forgive me. You _shouldn’t_ forgive me.”

“I don’t believe you.” Lewis stares back, fire in his eyes, vengeance and anger running through his veins. Arthur’s never seemed so small before, hunched over and frightened, and Lewis has never felt so tall. He’s waited for this moment, waited to see Arthur’s face when he realises what Lewis is now, what he can do, what he caused. Arthur’s right. He shouldn't forgive him, should get his revenge, should-

“He’s telling the truth,” Mystery says. He’s curled up on the couch, next to Arthur. “I was there. It almost possessed Arthur entirely. We were just barely able to save him, and even then, we lost a lot.”

Arthur glances at his arm. It’s metal, Lewis realises. He hadn’t noticed until now. He doesn't turn his gaze back to Lewis.

“Mystery had to rip it off,” Arthur says. “It started turning green, and I couldn't feel it, or control it. I wouldn’t- I never wanted to hurt you. I loved you, for fucks sake.”

“Loved?” The fire dims. He pulls back, stands instead of floats. He wasn’t prepared for this. 

“I was jealous. Of you, ‘cause you had Vivi. And of Vivi, ‘cause she had you.”

And then it makes sense. 

“You are telling the truth,” Lewis says. 

“You don’t have to forgive me. You shouldn’t forgive me.”

Lewis doesn’t reply to this. Instead he gets up and hugs Arthur. He stiffens, then relaxes into the hug. They stay like that for a while, until Lewis feels Mystery nudge his leg. 

“I think the van’s gone,” he says, and Arthur and Lewis rush to the window. He’s right. The brightly coloured van is nowhere in sight, but they do find a note on the door, in Vivi’s handwriting, that says “I’ll pick you up tomorrow!” and then a smiley face.

The two look at each other.

“Well,” Lewis says, “I guess we’re having a sleepover.”

“A sleepover?” Arthur asks. “Really? You’re moving on that fast?”

“And what do you think I should do? Throw you out in the rain? We’ve been best friends for 15 years, Arthur. Did you really think I wouldn’t forgive you?”

“I didn’t know you’d come back as a ghost! When you died, I thought that was it, that I’d never get to see you and apologize and have to hold on to that guilt forever. And I probably should’ve expected you to come back, but I didn’t. I thought you died thinking I killed you because I hated you, and that I’d never get to tell you what happened. So no, I didn’t think you would forgive me! And I still don’t think you should! Even if it was an accident, _I killed you!_ That’s not something you can just apologize for and move on!”

Arthur’s pulling at his hair, looking at floor, visibly trying not to cry. Lewis put his hand on Arthur’s shoulder, unsure of what to do, and Arthur shrugs it off.

“Arthur,” Lewis says, “Don’t I get a say? After all, I’m the one who died.” Arthur looks up at him, then back down. “Yeah, okay, you screwed up. But you didn’t really have control over the situation. You didn’t choose to do it. You’re as much a victim as I am, and I’m not going to let you keep blaming yourself. Okay?”

Arthur doesn’t reply. “Arthur,” Lewis says, leaning down until Arthur can look him straight on. “Please, Arthur. I know you, and I know you wouldn’t do something like this. I was- I was so scared when I woke up, and I spent so long trying to understand. I didn’t see what really happened, so the only possible conclusion I could make was that you killed me. Even then, I never really believed that you would do something like that.”

“I was in love with you,” Arthur says, voice barely above a whisper. “Vivi, too. But I didn’t wanna say anything. I was scared of how you’d react.”

“Vivi and I had been talking about that,” Lewis says. “From the day I started dating her, I wanted to see if you’d be open to joining us. But I was worried it might freak you out.”

“We’re idiots, aren’t we,” Arthur says. “All of this could have been avoided if we talked to each other.”

“Don’t you start blaming yourself for that, too. I’m just as much at fault as you are.”

Arthur nods. Lewis pulls him into a hug. “Now that that’s settled, I have some ideas for what we can do,” Lewis says.

“I’ve got an idea, too,” Arthur says. “Lean down and close your eyes.” Lewis obliges, and Arthur kisses him. Not a big kiss, just a little smooch on his forehead.

“Thank you,” Lewis says, at the same time that Arthur stammers out “I’m gonna go look for some stuff in the attic” and runs off. Mystery looks at Lewis knowingly. Lewis glares.

Twenty minutes later, they have a pillow fort set up. Arthur manages to find a TV and old VHS tapes. They’re all animated movies, old ones, and so they curl up in their fort with hot chocolate and _Road to El Dorado_ on in the background, and catch up.

“Where did the mansion come from?” Arthur asks Lewis. He’s not really looking at him, just glancing briefly, trying not to stare. Lewis switched clothing, from his usual suit to a pair of pyjamas Arthur found while searching for the TV. His arms are an inky kind of black, with white markings shaped like bones, and he doesn’t blame Arthur for staring.

“I’m not sure,” he says. “It reminds me of the house I grew up in, but that house was burned down years ago.”

“Weird. Everything here still works, even stuff like light switches and faucets. But supposedly this place kept kinda flickering in and out of existence.”

“It took a while for me to get it stable. Those little ghosts have been helping me. They’re surprisingly powerful, and very helpful.”

“What are those guys, anyways?”

“They’re ghosts. They had a purpose, a reason to stay, but no way to fulfill their purpose. So they’re stuck here.” Like me, he thinks, but doesn’t say it. 

“So do you think you’ll stay?” Arthur asks, aiming for casual and missing. 

“I want to,” Lewis says. “I’ve missed you all so much. I don’t want to leave you again.”

“I don’t want you leaving either.”

Mystery gets up off his pillow and leaves then, saying he doesn’t want to listen to them and is leaving before the making out starts. They both laugh at that, but then loom at each other. 

“I think we should talk to Vivi before any, uh, making out happens,” Arthur says.

Lewis nods. “Cuddling should be fine, though,” Arthur adds, already scooting himself into Lewis’s arms. He yawns.

“Can you sleep?” Arthur asks, looking up at him. 

“Kinda,” Lewis says. “I don’t really need to sleep very much, but I can. I still have dreams, which is nice.”

“Good,” Arthur says, yawning again. He falls asleep soon after that. And, after a while of watching Arthur and getting used to the idea of being with his friends again, Lewis falls asleep as well.


	3. Chapter Three

She sleeps in the van, alone. It’s weird, and uncomfortable, but it’s for Arthur and Lewis, so it’s okay. There’s no shortage of things she’d do for them. 

In the morning, she gets Denny’s. She buys a huge meal, enough for all four of them, even though she’s not sure if Lewis even can eat. When she gets to the mansion, it’s quiet. She knocks, but no one opens the door, and finally she opens it herself and marches in. Not knowing where anything is, she wanders aimlessly for a while, before stumbling upon a mound of pillows, Arthur and Lewis lying on top of them. They’re in pyjamas, and briefly she wonders where they came from, quickly deciding it doesn't matter. They’re _adorable_ , curled up like they are, and she pulls out her phone to take a picture before wandering into the kitchen.

As she sets the table, she examines the kitchen. It’s huge, with a well-stocked fridge and silverware in the drawers. Something whispers to her as she places the food on the plates, and she jumps.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” the voice says, and she looks up to see a ghost. Small, tinted the same pink-purple as Lewis’s hair. “Are you Vivi?”

Vivi nods. The ghost looks excited. “Lewis has talked about you. And that other boy, the tangerine one, although he’s much more positive about you.”

“That...makes sense,” Vivi says. “Arthur did something wrong, and Lewis has plenty of reasons to be mad at him. I saw them earlier though, and they seemed to be friends again..?”

The little ghost nods. “They talked for hours last night. I didn’t listen in on much, I didn’t want to eavesdrop, but they seemed happy.”

Vivi sighs in relief. One problem solved. But with that solved, there's a whole set of new problems. What do they do about Lewis? They were hired to help him move on, but that’s the last thing Vivi wants. At the same time, though, she doesn’t want him becoming a purposeless ghost, because that’s worse than losing him. They need a permanent solution, but even with all the research Vivi has done, no ones ever tried to _keep_ a ghost, at least not like this.

The door opens, breaking Vivi out of her thoughts. Lewis stands there, looking unsure.

“Hi,” he says quietly, and she starts crying. “Are you okay?” he asks, floating over to her, looking worried now. “I can leave if you want-”

“No,” she says, “no, don’t leave. It’s just….God, Lewis, I never thought I would see you again.”

Lewis pulls her into a hug. He’s crying, too, but they’re happy tears. “I missed you so much,” she manages through her tears.

“I missed you too,” he tells her. His voice sounds a little weird, and he looks different, but it’s him and she’s never felt this kind of happiness before. Her face is buried in his chest, and she breathes in the scent of him. 

“I love you so much, Lewis,” she tells him. She pulls back then, looks at his face. “How are things with you and Arthur?”

To her surprise, he blushes. It’s kinda weird to look at, his face glowing a bright pink, and she grins. “Tell me now,” she demands, happily.

“We, uh, watched some movies,” he says, not meeting her eyes, “and there was some snuggling involved and maybe a kiss?”

Vivi makes a very loud squeaking sound that has Mystery trying to cover his ears. “Finally!” she yells. “You aren’t mad at him? And he’s stopped his whole ‘Lewis shouldn’t forgive me’ thing?”

“Mostly,” Lewis says. Arthur walks into the kitchen, then, groggy and grumpy. 

“Vivi, what the hell was that-” Vivi doesn't let him finish his sentence. She pulls Lewis over to him and wraps her arms around their shoulders, pulling them down to her height. 

“I’m so proud of you!” she yells, giving them each kisses on the cheek and enjoying their blushing. “God, watching you two do your little “no homo” dance was so frustrating.”

They blush harder, if thats possible. “Vivi,” Lewis complains. She kisses him on the cheek again, and when Arthur opens his mouth, she kisses him, too.

“Now, onto some other important things,” Vivi says. “I brought food! It’s getting cold, so sit and eat.”

They comply. They’ve known Vivi long enough to know that when she asks you to do something, you listen. The four of them sit down, knowing where to sit just by what's on the plate. Mystery devours his bacon and sausages happily, and Arthur digs in with almost his normal enthusiasm, but Lewis doesn't even look at his food.

“I can’t eat,” he says, when he catches Vivi watching him. 

“I probably should have thought of that,” Vivi says. “So, how was your little sleepover last night? Besides you two finally not being idiots.”

“You couldn’t have given me some warning?” Arthur asks. “I had to borrow some of Lewis’s clothing.” Vivi notices, just then, that the shirt he’s wearing is at least two sizes too big on him. 

“If I gave you a warning, you wouldn't have agreed to it.”

“...True.”

“Our uh, ‘sleepover’ went well, I think,” Lewis says. “Arthur managed to find a TV. Only played VHS tapes, but at least it worked.”

“How did you find a TV?”

“I dug around in the attic. There’s a ton of stuff up there. No idea where it came from.”

“You remember the fire, right?”

Arthur and Vivi nod. After a particular incident with some ghosts, Lewis’s grandmother was accused of being a witch, and some especially awful people thought it a good idea to burn down their house. No one was home at the time, but they lost everything. 

“Maybe it kinda...died when it burned down. So it’s a ghost.”

“D’you think it’ll stay here? Not flicker in and out. Cause we were told it kept doing that and was freaking people out.”

“It hasn’t done that in ages. I think it’ll stay here as long as I stay.”

No one says anything further. No one knows how to approach the subject. Because that's the big question: can Lewis stay? Does he want to? Vivi has forgotten about that problem in the face of her two favourite people doing something smart, but it hits her all over again.

“How long do you think you’ll stay?” she asks, gently, trying to sound casual about it.

“I don’t know,” Lewis says. “I’d like to stay for as long as you two are willing to deal with me. But I don’t know how that would even work. I should have moved on already, really.”

“Can’t a reason to stay back change over time?” Arthur asks. “Maybe that's your reason now. No goal or anything, just wanting to be with your friends.” He does little finger quotes around the word friends, and Vivi smiles.

“I already had to leave you all once. I don’t really want to do it again.” Lewis doesn’t _smile_ , exactly, but something in his eyes goes soft. 

“Then it’s settled. Lewis is gonna stay with us, and the Mystery Skulls are finally going to be a real team again!” Vivi grins at Lewis, but the softness in his eyes has given way to fear.

“I can’t,” he says, quickly. “I mean, maybe I can help out from here, but- I don’t think I can leave the mansion. I shouldn’t, not with how I look and all.”

“We can disguise you,” Vivi says. “That's a thing ghosts can do, right? Glamours and illusions and all that.”

“I don’t know how,” Lewis says. “At least, not on purpose, or for very long.”

“You’ll learn, then. We need you. It’s not the same, without you.”

Arthur hasn't said anything, instead leaning over and stealing Lewis’s untouched food. Vivi nudges him. “Huh? Oh! Yeah, we need you back. It’s….I don’t know. It feels like we’re missing something, ‘cause we are. Plus, I mean, maybe whatever powers come with being a ghost will be useful?”

“Maybe.”

“That's enough for me,” Vivi says, and she starts to take the plates and put them away when her phone rings. She nearly drops them in her rush to answer it.

“Hello?” she asks.

“Is this, ah, ‘Mystery Skulls Incorporated?’” the person on the other end asks. Female, Vivi guesses, fairly old, very panicked.

“That’s us!”

“I need help. There's something in my house. It wasn’t too bad, but I found- there was a bird- please help me,” she says, words running together. “I live in Redwood City, Cali-”

“I know where that is. Can you give us an address?” She does. “We’ll be there in three hours. Can you wait that long?”

“Yes, just please hurry!”

“We will, I promise. I’ll see you soon.” Vivi hangs up and explains to the others what just happened. “We’ve got a case! Down in Redwood City. Only a couple hours drive. Lewis, are you coming?” She looks up at him as innocently as possible.

“Fine,” he says, finally.

“Yay! Okay, lets get you fixed up, and you too Arthur- you need warmer clothing! I’ll be right back,” she says, dashing up to the attic.

Only ten minutes later, all four of them are bundled up and ready. Lewis has a scarf wrapped around his face and another one hiding the missing space where his neck should be. He’s got a hat, with a wide brim, and gloves, and so much clothing not a bit of skin can be seen. Arthur’s been persuaded into a jacket instead of his usual vest. Even Mystery has on a little scarf and tiny booties.

“This is demeaning,” he complains, but the ground outside is cold and he doesn’t take them off.

Arthur drives. Mystery sits up front, to avoid getting carsick, and Vivi decides to take a nap in the back, leaving Lewis to sit up front.

Neither of them talk. Arthur plays music, sings along a little, does not look at Lewis. Vivi wakes up an hour into the drive, and starts up a conversation. 

“Where are we?”

“Somewhere near San Francisco, I think. Near the Golden Gate Bridge.”

“So that’s...another hour?”

“Yeah.”

“Can we stop somewhere? I need to use the bathroom. And maybe grab a little snack.”

They pull over at the next gas station. Lewis and Mystery opt to stay in the car, Mystery still complaining about the booties. Vivi runs into the bathroom while Arthur grabs some water bottles and food. 

“How’s the drive been?” Vivi asks. Arthur shrugs.

“Uh, we got through like three Disney soundtracks before Mystery begged us to stop singing. I’ve been playing your iPod for a while. It’s a little...weird, I guess. He’s still Lewis, but he seems a little different. Sadder, I guess, and I can’t stop thinking it’s my fault.”

“You wanna take a break from driving for a bit?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll drive for a while. You go sit in the back, nap or something.”

“Sounds good.”

They get back in the car. “Arthur’s taking a break,” Vivi tells Lewis, “so it’ll just be us for a while.”

Lewis nods, although it’s hard to tell under the scarves and hat. “You got a license?” he asks.

“Yeah. A few months ago, actually.”

“Oh.”

Arthur was right. He does seem sadder, somehow, like he’s forgotten how to be happy. She doesn’t like it.

“Lewis,” she says, carefully, “are you okay? I know this all must be kind of overwhelming, but I mean...it’s better than sitting in that house all alone, right? Are we going too fast for you?”

“I wasn’t really...prepared to see you all again. I assumed you’d forgotten me. And then, for a while, all I wanted was revenge. I didn’t know the full story of what happened. From my perspective, it seemed like Arthur killed me, and that was a difficult thing to handle. I forgot myself, I think, let my anger take over so I didn’t have to actually think about anything. But now I know the truth, and I don’t have that anger anymore. I don’t really remember how it feels to be actually doing something.”

“Which is why you have to stay with us. I don’t want to lose you again.”

“I’m a bit worried about Arthur, though,” Lewis says. “He still blames himself, even though I’ve forgiven him.”

“Well, this is Arthur,” Vivi says, sighing. “He’s not going to stop blaming himself just because you did.”

“I wish things could be like they were before. But that’s not really possible now, is it?”

“No,” Vivi says, “It really isn't.”

They talk a bit more after that, unimportant things, telling each other stories of their time apart and sharing their memories of before that. Lewis gives her more information about the night before, and Vivi does her best to keep her squeaks quiet enough so that they don’t wake Arthur. The drive passes by quickly, and it’s not long before they’re in front of the house. 

Vivi knocks on the door loudly. “Hello? This is Mystery Skulls Inc, we were called about a-” The door swings open and an old woman steps out, clothing torn and fading, hair in a messy bun that’s near falling out. 

“Thank you so much for coming,” she says, and she ushers them into her house quickly. She brings them to the kitchen and has them sit down at the table. “Seven months ago,” she starts, “my daughter died. She was killed by an awful man who’s now in prison. I’ve been feeling...something for a while. A bit of breeze when the windows are closed, or a spot that’s cold even when the heats on. But now...it’s gotten worse, actually, since her killer was captured. I’ve woken up to hear what sounds like someone crying, or come home to find my furniture thrown about randomly.”

Lewis taps Vivi’s shoulder, then points at himself. “Could we have a moment?” she asks the old woman.

“Certainly. Here, why don’t I show you to where her room used to be? It’s especially bad in there. Maybe you’ll see something.” She leads them to a room, walls painted in shades of blue and green, and then she leaves them.

Lewis is quiet for a moment, analyzing the room. The furniture is scratched and gouged, and there’re dents in the wall like something was thrown at it. 

“I have an idea,” he says, quietly, “but I think it would work best if I’m alone.” He isn’t looking at either Vivi or Arthur, so they slip out of the room and close the door.

Lewis knows what he’s doing, Vivi tells herself. She has a good feeling about this for once, the little flicker of hope that started in her last night growing. Things can only get better from here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> special birthday update! I turned 18 today and decided to post an extra update. normally updates will only be posted on monday and thursday.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Lewis sits on the ground. “Hello?” he calls, just to see if maybe the ghost will appear. When nothing happens, he sighs before taking off his hat and scarves and gloves. “I know you’re here,” he says, looking around nervously.

A sudden noise startles him. There’re stuffed animals littered around on the floor, and a few float up before crashing back down. 

“I- I know how you feel,” Lewis says, quietly. “Or at least, I think I do. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m fairly certain you’re angry. Frustrated. And sad, because you can’t really do anything.”

The stuffed animals stop slamming into the ground. It’s silent for a moment, and then a girl appears. She’s younger than Lewis expected, only in her late 20s at most. She’s a bit like Lewis in appearance, wearing a black dress that glows blue-green. Her hair swirls around her like a jellyfish. Her face is frightening, a mask of hate and rage, but in her eyes, under the anger, he sees a wealth of pain. 

“Who are you?” she demands, and her voice has the same reverb his does.

“My name is Lewis. I’m a ghost, like you are.”

“You are, are you? Were _you_ killed and betrayed by someone you thought cared about you?”

“Yes, actually.”

She pauses at that. “Well, then you should understand me better then! I have every reason to be angry, and you can’t make me stop.”

“Maybe you should tell me what happened, then. So I can truly understand.”

“Hmph. Fine. I met a guy online. He seemed nice, so I decided to meet up with him. He turned out to be a serial killer and murdered me. The end.”

“That’s not the end, though, is it? You want revenge.”

“Of course I do! I could’ve had a real life. I was going to be a doctor. Now I can’t do anything, and my mother doesn't even see me.”

“She’s the one who called us,” Lewis says, still calm despite the frantic anger of the woman he’s talking to. “She told us he was jailed.”

“Yeah. So I can’t even get revenge.”

“So then why stay?”

That stops her. She turns and looks at Lewis, actually looks at him instead of glaring at him briefly and angrily.

He continues talking. “I was killed as well. By my best friend, actually, although it really wasn’t his fault- He was possessed, you see, and had no control over what he was doing. I didn’t know that, though, and spent almost a year on my own, planning my revenge. And then he showed up one day, and suddenly...Revenge seemed so empty. It wouldn’t bring me back, but it would end up leading to more pain. And it’s a good thing, too, because he came back later and explained everything to me. If I’d gone for revenge, I’d still be alone and angry. But now...I have my friends again, the two people I love the most. I could have lost that.”

“So you just...forgave him? That fast?”

“He didn’t really have a choice. And he blames himself enough that me blaming him seems unnecessary.”

“So, what, I should forgive me _murderer_? He wasn't possessed. He _chose_ to kill me. He admitted to it.”

“Don’t forgive him, then. But don’t waste yourself like this. Don’t cling to anger. Let yourself move on.”

“I don’t want to- I don’t what will happen if I do that. I don’t wanna leave my mom all alone.” Something in her seems to break, and she doesn’t look frightening anymore. She looks lost. “What else can I do besides get revenge? I can’t do anything. I’m not really even here. I’m not ready to leave, and what else do I have to keep me here besides getting revenge? I’m an only child,” she says, words spilling like a bucket that’s been knocked over. “I’m all my mom has.”

“Stay for her then. Stay for love, not for anger. It’s a much nicer feeling. Also, a word of advice: don’t throw things around. All it does is make a mess.”

She nods, the mask of rage fully slipping.. “That...Yeah. I think I might try that.” She looks at Lewis. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I think I should return to my friends now.”

She nods again, and then she vanishes. The room begins to pick itself up as Lewis puts back on his scarves and hat and gloves. He closes the door behind him when he leaves.

\-----

“How did it go?” Vivi asks. 

Lewis gives her a thumbs up. “She’s still here,” he says, quietly, “but she’s not as angry anymore. She’s staying to help her mom, not to get revenge.”

“That’s good,” Vivi says.

“What’s good?” Asks the woman who called them. “What happened?”

“He-” here Vivi points at Lewis before continuing to speak- “was able to talk to her. She said she still wants to stay, but not to get revenge. She wants to stick around so she can help you.”

“Thank you,” the old woman says, tearing up. She hugs Lewis, who doesn’t respond for a moment, but then hugs her back. She slips some money into his pocket, and winks at him. “Have a safe drive home,” she says. 

“I think we’ll be fine,” Vivi says, “but thank you.”

They exchange thank-yous a few more times before finally leaving the house. It’s later than Lewis realised. The sky is beginning to darken, and it’s raining again.

“Should we get a hotel?” Arthur asks, digging through the back of the truck for an umbrella. “I don’t wanna drive in this weather.”

“Fine,” Vivi says. Arthur pulls out his phone, and twenty minutes later, they’re in their hotel room. It’s a fancy one, the kind that has room service and mints on the pillow. Arthur announces he’s going to take a shower while Vivi orders room service, almost asking Lewis what he wants before realising. She orders food for Mystery, whom they had to smuggle in under Lewis’s sweater. Fancy hotels, as a general rule, don’t usually allow pets. 

Mystery and Lewis hide in the closet while Vivi pays the worker who brings up their food. Arthur leaves the shower, wearing a pair of neon orange pyjama pants and a shirt that was definitely Lewis’s. His hair is still wet, and he doesn’t say anything to Vivi, Lewis, or Mystery, instead going straight for the food. 

“Arthur,” Vivi asks him, “any ideas for what our plan should be?”

Arthur doesn’t talk for a moment, and shen he does speak its around a mouthful of food, and thus sounds more like mumbling than actual words.

“What?” Vivi asks, and he repeats himself.

“I was thinking we stay here tonight.”

“Yeah? And tomorrow?”

“It’ll be fine, Vivi.”

Mystery explains the situation quickly. “We used to have the apartment as a base,” he says, whispering to Lewis, “but they went a while with no cases and couldn’t afford the rent. For the past month we’ve been staying in hotels and in the van.”

“We need to be better prepared,” Vivi says. “Maybe try fitting another cot into the van?”

“Three was bad enough,” Arthur’s saying, “but four? We can’t fit me, you, and Lewis in there.”

“Then what should we do, Arthur? Should we just keep staying in hotels? We can’t afford that.”

“I don’t know! But we need a better option. Maybe we can find a cheap apartment.”

“I’ve looked!”

“Uh, guys? I think I have an idea,” Lewis says. Arthur and Vivi turn to look at him. “We can use the- the mansion as a base.”

“Does that mean you’re officially re-joining?” Vivi asks, looking excited. Lewis nods.

“And it means we have a place to stay. A big one, too. Although it could use some redecorating,” Arthur says. “Cleaning, too.” 

“But it’ll work, right?” Lewis asks. Vivi and Arthur nod. 

“Lewis, it’s _perfect_ ,” Vivi says, grinning widely. “Oh! We should put some kind of sign on it! Make it our official headquarters. I mean, what’s a better base for a group of paranormal investigators than a literal haunted house?”

“Not much,” Arthur says. 

“We’re gonna need to clean,” Vivi says. “Maybe do some repainting. Sell some of the super fancy furniture, get more comfy stuff.” She rolls over onto her back, looking at the ceiling and laying out her plans for the mansion. “Keep the portraits, though. They’re cool.”

Lewis and Arthur don’t interrupt. Its a bad idea to stop Vivi once she’s excited about something. Instead, they listen, watching her face as she talks about her plans, throwing in ideas every so often. Vivi starts nodding off, eventually, and Lewis carefully picks her up and tucks her into bed. They only have one bed, so Arthur and Lewis do their best to fit all three of them in. They manage, and Lewis finds himself falling asleep easily.  
\-----  
It’s a little awkward in the morning. Arthur sprawls out in his sleep, and Vivi tends to move, so the three of them are tangled up together. Vivi calls for room service, then tells Lewis to take a shower. It takes him a while to figure out the ridiculously large amount of handles and levers, but eventually he manages to turn on the water. It feels nice. He didn’t really shower during his time alone. There was no reason to, since he was usually not even fully tangible, so he couldn’t get dirty. And even after he got a better handle on keeping himself tangible, all he had to do was stop and any dirt would fall off.

He’s adapting pretty well, he thinks. After a year of nothing but the dead to keep him company, its hard to be with living people again. But Vivi and Arthur might be a little different, they’re still them, and slipping back into usual routine isn’t difficult.

A knock startles him out of his thoughts. “Don’t use all the hot water!” Vivi shouts, and he realises he’s been in longer than planned. He hurries through the rest of his shower, and dries off even faster. Vivi pats his arm as she walks into the bathroom, and he almost trips over himself.

Arthur’s still in his pyjamas, idly watching tv and eating. He moves over a bit when he sees Lewis, makes space for him on the bed, but otherwise doesn’t acknowledge him. They sit like that for a while. Mystery’s still sleeping, curled up on the bed.

“Hey, Lewis,” Arthur says, after a while, “You’re sure about using you whole mansion thing as a base? I mean, it’s not gonna vanish or anything, right?”

“I’m sure,” Lewis says. “After all, it solves all our problems, right?”

“Yeah,” Arthur says. “Well, most.”

Vivi comes out of the bathroom then, towel wrapped around her head, another wrapped around her body, leaving most of her skin uncovered. Lewis stops thinking, and beside him, Arthur stops breathing. “When are we leaving?” she asks. 

“Uh, whenever you guys want,” Arthur manages.

“Gimme ten minutes and we can head out.” Vivi disappears back into the bathroom, and When she comes back out, she’s carrying a bunch of little hotel soaps and all the clothing left on the floor. She’s also now wearing clothing. Arthur and Lewis watch as she stuffs everything into their single suitcase and somehow zips it up. 

"Let’s go!" She says, smiling widely at them. Lewis puts on his scarves and does his best to hide Mystery, still sleeping, in his sweater. 

Arthur drives first. They pile into the front, Mystery on Lewis's lap, and Vivi pulls out her phone. 

"We've got an appointment in SF," she says, reading off her phone, "but that’s not for two hours. I’m thinking we do some shopping until its time?"

"What are we shopping for?" Arthur asks. 

"Paint, furniture, stuff to fix up the house." 

Arthur nods. "I know somewhere we can get paint," he says, and a few minutes later Vivi's dashing around Home Depot, grabbing swatches and throwing them at everyone. Lewis, Arthur, and Mystery wait for her to tire herself out. 

Mystery's got on a little vest labelling him a service animal. Arthur tells Lewis that he finally got actual papers declaring him one, instead of them just having to lie. They've been claiming Mystery was a therapy dog to help with anxiety since Arthur found him in high school. 

Vivi goes over to the three of them, announcing that she had found the perfect colours and had already paid for them. She demands Lewis and Arthur help carry the ridiculous amount of stuff to the van 

"Vi, what the hell is this?" Arthur complains, holding a giant board. 

"It’s gonna be our sign!" She says. She points at the flyers tacked up on a bulletin board. Besides the missing pets and bright green ads for cooking classes and extremely colourful poster advertising “Secret Handshake Inc.”, is a little flyer, black and pink, advertising Mystery Skulls Incorporated. “See that little logo? We’re gonna have it on the house. So people know it’s us!”

“As opposed to the other paranormal investigation team in the middle of nowhere.”

“There’re others! It doesn’t hurt to make sure people know who we are.”

Arthur rolls his eyes, but doesn't complain anymore. They finish loading everything into the car.

“If we leave right now,” Vivi says, looking at her phone, “we should get there on time.” The drive goes by fast, between Vivi yelling directions at Arthur and them both singing along to the increasingly bizarre music being played. 

When they arrive, Lewis starts to get out of the car. “You and Mystery should probably stay here,” Vivi tells him. “We’re doing a check for any supernatural things and don’t want you two accidentally setting it off.”

Lewis nods. He remembers them having to leave Mystery in the car on trips like this. He sits back down.

“Everything alright?” Mystery asks him.

“Not used to having to stay in the car,” Lewis says. “Although at least I have company.”

“You get used to it,” Mystery tells him. 

“It’s confusing,” Lewis says. “Everything is so similar. It’s easy to fall back into usual routine, but I forget that so much has changed.”

“You’re adapting very well,” Mystery says. 

Lewis doesn’t really know what to say to that. As it turns out, he doesn’t have to, as that’s when Arthur runs out of the house and tells them both to come with him.


	5. Chapter 5

It starts out fine. Just an average, routine, normal check. San Francisco is an old city, and paranoid citizens are more than happy to pay the Mystery Skulls to make sure their houses aren’t haunted. And that’s usually what happens. They make an appointment, show up at the right time, haul all of their fancy ghost-detecting equipment inside, and wander around until they’re positive nothing there. If there is something, more often than not, its the ghost of an animal, or a really low-level demon, something easy to get rid of. That’s how they make most of their money.

Of course, sometimes it doesn’t go as planned. 

Vivi has a bad feeling the moment she enters the house. It’s a lovely house, painted a very nice mint green and with a well-cared for lawn. The owners, two thirty-somethings who introduce themselves as Amanda and Sidney, and as her and Arthur walk around the house, they tell them about the odd experiences they’ve been having. Random cold spots, things not where they left them, nothing too unusual. Probably a small ghost, or minor demon. When she gets into the kitchen, her equipment makes a sound. "Found something!" She calls, and everyone comes running over. Arthur pulls out their more sensitive stuff from his vest pockets. Everything goes nuts the second he turns it on. The kitchen turns into a mess of beeps and warning lights, and the couple who called them cling to each other. 

Arthur does his best to explain to the two women what's happening and help them calm down, while Vivi sorts out their equipment. The loudest sounds are coming from their demon detector, a little orange thing that looks like a small cd player at first. With Sidney and Amanda calmed, Arthur can help again, so as Vivi sorts out the rest, Arthur pops open the demon detector and translates the numbers into information. 

"Envy Demon," he says, after a moment. "Class Three."

"Shit." Three is bad. They typically deal with Ones, or with demons so minor they're only half- or quarter-class. 

Their ghost detector is beeping too, and this one Vivi opens. "Minor ghosts," she says. "Spirits at best. They're probably the source of the cold spots and stuff being left places. But how did these two get an envy demon in here, without even noticing?"

Arthur shrugs. 

"Go get Mystery and Lewis," Vivi instructs him. Arthur nods and runs out, and she can hear him explaining to the two as they enter the house. Everything starts beeping again, this time a louder, more frantic sound. 

Sidney and Amanda come back out, concerned about the noises, and Vivi decides to explain things now rather then later. She turns everything off for the time now, so she can be heard. 

"We think you guys might have a demon," she says, "and some ghosts. That was why it first was beeping."

"But what were the other sounds about?"

"Well, we have a demon and a ghost with us. Mystery- our dog- is a... Mystery, what exactly are you?" 

"Hellhound," Mystery says. "Really fairly minor, all things considered."

"Still, bigger than most demons we encounter. And Lewis, the tall one over there, he's a ghost. A very powerful one, actually!"

Lewis waves at the couple, who look more frightened than ever. 

"Neither of them will hurt you," Vivi says. "So don't be worried."

Arthur nods. "I can explain further," he says, "but for now it'd be best if you let us do what we need to."

They both nod. Arthur walks them out of the kitchen, reassuring them a few more times, and Vivi gets to work. She pulls some salt out of a hidden pouch in her scarf, and makes a circle around herself, along with an empty one she explains is for Arthur. From another pouch she makes a circle of some black powder in the center of the kitchen.

Arthur comes back in and sits in his circle, handing Vivi things when she asks. Finally she has an odd little altar in the center of her black circle. There’s a necklace in the center, with a candle placed on top, and green powder sprinkled around it. She lights the candle and murmurs some latin. It’s gibberish, really, but it has all the important words, the ones that get demons interested. After a long moment, there’s a _pop!_ and a little green creature appears in the air, then crashes to the ground. It blinks, then looks at the necklace and scowls. 

"Hello!" Vivi says, far too cheerfully. The demon doesn't say anything. Mystery trots up to it. 

"Speak," Mystery demands

"No," the demon replies.

“I am a higher demon than you,” Mystery says. “ _Speak._ ”

“That’s a very vague instruction,” it says. “I can speak about a lot of things. For example, according to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don't care what humans think is impossible. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow-”

“Is it reciting _Bee Movie_?” Arthur asks. 

“I think so,” Vivi tells him. 

“Tell me something important! How did you get here? Where are you from? What are you?”

“I’m a demon,” it says. “You can call me whatever you want. As for where I’m from, I’m from where all demons come from! I’m sure you’re familiar with the place, _Mystery_. I got here by following the scent of humans. These ones have an incredible envy for _things_ , and they’ve been feeding me well. The blonde one’s very envious of their neighbors. They got a new car the other week, and the way she looks at it is wonderful.”

“You need to leave,” Vivi says. “Go back to wherever you came from.”

“It’s so boring there, though,” it says. “Nothing fun ever happens. Humans are so much more fun to be around, with their petty squabbles and their endless emotions. Why would I ever leave?”

“Because I said so,” Vivi says. “Why here, specifically? Why not go to a bus stop or somewhere more populated? You say you like being around humans, but you’re pretty confined in here.”

“Have you seen them? The way they look at each other? They’re possessive. The look in their eyes, when the other is with someone else, its such a pure form of envy that it nearly hurts. Of course, I could be persuaded to leave. I have a feeling you four have some experience with those like me, yes? Don’t try to hide it, orange one. I see the look in your eyes. You’ve quite a bit of envy in you, I can tell-”

“Leave Arthur alone,” Lewis says. Arthur’s eyes are wide and he’s staring at the little thing in horror. Lewis’s eyes narrow and he moves in closer.

“And you!” Adam continues. “How could I miss it.” It grins up at Lewis, as though he’s the one trapped. “You’ve got quite a few issues to work out. But there’s no disguising that look in your eyes.”

“Enough!” Vivi yells. “Lewis, don’t listen to it. Arthur, you too. It’s trying to manipulate you-”

“I speak nothing but the truth,” it says. Its smile is sharp and wide and cruel. 

“You will leave these people,” Mystery says. “Leave and go back to where you came. Don’t bother them again.”

“As you wish,” it says. “I’ve a feeling we’ll meet again, though. Maybe not me specifically, but another like me. We’re all connected after all. How’s the arm, by the way? I can’t take credit for that, but I’ll make sure to tell the one who did that I saw you. I’m sure they’d love to come check up on you all,” it continues, and Arthur sucks in a breath and then stops breathing.

“You,” he manages to gasp out, “you-”

“Alas, I must take my leave now. I’ll be seeing you,” it says, bowing, before disappearing with another _pop!_ and a gust of cold air that extinguishes the candle. Arthur collapses, suddenly, salt spilling from the now-broken circle, and Lewis rushes to catch him.

“Arthur,” he says, and when Arthur doesn’t respond, he repeats it, louder, “Arthur!”

“I’m okay,” Arthur mumbles. “I- I-”

“It’s okay, Arthur. It’s gone.”

“That one, maybe, but what about the others? You heard it!”

“They won’t show up for a while,” Mystery says. “Trust me.”

“But it said it would talk to the one that- that killed Lewis,,” Arthur says, “and we aren’t going to be prepared for that! We need to- figure out what we’ll do when that happens.”

“We will,” Lewis says. He runs a hand through Arthur’s hair, careful not to mess it up. “Arthur, it’s going to be okay. I promise.”

“Yeah,” Arthur says. “Yeah. I uh- I should go tell Sidney and Amanda that we’re done.” He smiles at them, shaky and clearly false, before leaving the kitchen to talk to the two women.

“So that didn’t go as expected,” Vivi says, cleaning up the circles on the ground. “We should probably head back now.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Lewis says. 

Mystery helps her get all of the stay salt off the ground, but avoids the black circle. Arthur comes back into the kitchen, still looking a bit uncomfortable, but hiding it very well. Sidney and Amanda hug them, except for Lewis, who only gets a handshake. They thank them a few times, but it’s a bit awkward and they manage to say their goodbyes and leave quickly. Vivi drives this time. Arthur sits in the middle, Mystery on his lap, and Vivi wishes she was better at comforting people. 

"We'll be better prepared," Lewis says. The tone in his voice leaves no room for argument, but Arthur tries anyway. 

"The last time we met that demon, you died," Arthur reminds him. "We can't risk something like that happening again."

"What do you suggest we do, then?"

"I don't know! But I'm scared. Fuck, Lewis, I'm so scared of what'll happen if we see that thing again. What if it makes me hurt you again?” he asks, not waiting for an answer before continuing, “Or maybe it'll attack Vivi this time. We don’t know." Arthur's crying, holding Mystery tight, his words just understandable between sobs. 

Lewis doesn't say anything, just runs his hands through Arthurs hair. He stops crying after a while. Vivi considers pulling over, glancing at them periodically and seeing the look on Arthur’s face, but they're so close already and it doesn't seem worth it. She speeds up a bit, and they arrive at the mansion quickly. The door's unlocked, so Vivi decides to just go straight in and worry about their purchases later. The little ghosts swirl around them excitedly. A few hang back, glaring at them, Arthur in particular, but most look happy to see them. Arthur and Lewis’s pillow fort is still up, and that’s where Arthur collapses. 

“Can we have just a few days of nothing shitty happening. Just a few. Like, a weekend of no shittiness,” Arthur says into a pillow. 

“Things’ll get better,” Vivi says. “I mean, not everything has been shitty.”

“Name one thing,” Arthur says, face still buried in a pillow.

“We have Lewis back,” she tells him.

“Other than that. Something that isn’t a shitty situation fixing itself.”

“Arthur, will you at least get your face out of the pillow?” he shakes his head and makes a noise. Vivi rolls her eyes. “Fine,” she says. “I’m gonna go into the kitchen, grab something to eat-”

“No!” three different people yell at once. 

“I’ll get you some food,” Lewis says. “You stay out of the kitchen. This house has burned down before, I am not letting it happen again.”

“I’m not that bad-”

“Four different people called the fire department! We nearly got kicked out of our apartment!” Arthur yells, finally lifting his face from the pillow.

“That was like, four years ago-”

“You caught the microwave on fire!” Mystery argues.

Vivi pouts. “Fine, I’ll stay out of the kitchen.”

“ _Thank you_ ,” all three of them say. Arthur returns his face to the pillow.

Vivi and Arthur wait in the living room while Lewis cooks. Its almost like things were before, and if she closes her eyes, she can pretend the last year hasn’t happened, that she’s sitting on the floor of her tiny apartment with her three best friends. Lewis is humming, like he always does when he cooks, and she puts a pillow over her head so she can pretend his voice is the same as before. 

The humming ghosts ruin the picture, though. The picture is further ruined by Arthur poking her shoulder and whispering, “Vivi. Vi. Get the pillow off your head and help me they won’t stop _staring_ ” and so she sits up and is greeted by a chorus of ghosts.

“Hello,” she says, awkwardly. “I’m Vivi! Who are you guys?”

“Why are you here?” one asks her, and she gulps.

“We’re friends of Lewis’s,” she says. “Like I said, I’m Vivi. The dog is Mystery, and this is Arthur.”

“We’ve heard about you,” a different one says. “You’re the one who killed Lewis,” it says, pointing at Arthur.

“It was an accident,” Vivi says. “And they’re all made up now. Lewis said we could stay here, but if you don’t want us here…”

“No!” one yells. This one’s a little bit more distinguishable, with curly hair and a little bow. “You should stay. This is Lewis’s house, so what he says goes.” 

“Thank you,” Vivi says, at the same time that Lewis pokes his head out of the kitchen and announces dinner is ready. Vivi, Arthur, and Mystery quickly head into the kitchen.

“I don’t think the other ghosts like us,” Vivi says around a mouthful of food.

“The Deadbeats? They’ll warm up to you. Or they’ll leave,” Lewis says.

“Deadbeats?” Arthur asks.

“They like music,” Lewis explains. “And they’re dead, so. They’re all really old ghosts, that have kinda lost their forms and started fading.”

“That’s adorable,” Vivi says. “The name, I mean.”

Lewis blushes a little, which is even more adorable, but Vivi doesn’t say anything.

“So what now?” Arthur asks. 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, we need to figure out a better way to take Lewis places. Making him wear a stack of scarves works for now, but what about when it gets hot out?”

“Maybe you can figure out how to make a glamour?” Vivi suggests, and is met with looks of confusion. “Like, a disguise. Make himself look more, uh, human I guess.”

“I can do that?”

“You should be able to! I can do some research on it, if you want.”

“That might be a good idea.”

“I have a book about this in the van,” Vivi says. “One second.” She jumps up and runs outside to the van, digging through the back until she finds the book she’s looking for. She runs back into the house and slams it on the table. “Here! It’s all about ghosts and spirits and everything.” She smiles at Lewis. 

“Thank you,” he says. Vivi sits back down and goes back to eating. Everyone is quiet, eating their food, or in Lewis’s case, reading. Vivi’s the first one done, announcing she’s going to get everything out of the van, and Lewis offers to help. She piles things into his arms, cans of paint and brushes and all sorts of random things that she doesn’t entirely remember the purpose of. The deadbeats stare at it all, and one floats up to as Lewis puts it all down.

“Whats all this?”

“It’s paint! And other stuff. We’re gonna fix up the house.”

The ghost’s eyes go wide. “Are you gonna get rid of all the cobwebs?”

“Yep!”

“Good. Spiders scare me.” It smiles at Vivi and then floats away. 

“I like these guys,” Vivi says. “They’re cute. Do they have names?”

“Some of them,” Lewis tells her, picking up his book from the couch where he left it. “Not all of them are very friendly. That one is Melody.”

“Melody,” Vivi repeats. “I kinda like the idea of living in a house with a bunch of ghosts. Little-kid me would be freaking out.”

“Little-kid you would be interrogating the ghosts,” Lewis says.

“Yeah, and little-kid you would be hiding with Arthur.”

“I heard that!” Arthur yells from the kitchen.”

Vivi rolls her eyes. “It wasn’t an insult!”

Lewis laughs, surprising Vivi. She realises she hasn’t heard him laugh until now, and is reminded of how much she missed him, of days spent crying, of the first conversation with his parents where she had to tell them he was dead. She realises something, suddenly.

“Lewis,” she starts, “I- We need to contact your mom.” His eyes go wide. “We- we told her what happened. We didn’t actually report you as dead. We said you were missing, because you know what happens when you try telling the police about paranormal stuff. But we told your parents what actually happened.”

“Did I, uh-” Lewis starts, then stops. He shuts his eyes and speaks again after a moment. “Did I have a funeral?”

“There was a memorial,” Vivi says. “But you were never legally declared dead.”

He doesn’t respond to that for a while, just stares at his hands. Then: “I can’t.”

“Can’t what?”

“Can’t see them. I mean- they’ve never liked what I do. They hated the whole “paranormal investigations” thing. Hated paranormal things in general. Part of it was wanting me at the restraunt, but part was them being afraid.”

“Lewis, we can’t lie to them. They’ll find out, anyways, and besides, they love you.”

“Just...give me some time. You said something about a glamour?”

“Yeah. Depending on how strong it is, you could make yourself look like you did before.”

“If I can figure out how to do that, I’ll see them.”

“You’ll figure it out,” she says. “I know you will.” She kisses him on the cheek. “I’m going to take a shower,” she says.

“Second floor, third door on the right,” he says. 

She leaves him with a book in his hands and a confused look on his face.


End file.
